


Everything's Alright.

by orphan_account



Category: Youtube RPF, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Abuse, Andrew is the OC, But it's happening, Dark Thoughts, Depression, Don't know where I'm going with this yet., F/M, I'm going to make You as androgynous sounding as possible, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Physical Abuse, Reader can be a boy or girl, Slow Build, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, but it will be easy to insert yourself into the story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-03
Updated: 2016-06-08
Packaged: 2018-05-11 08:37:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5620459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You had to run from him, and this was your chance.<br/>a.k.a.<br/>It's not your fault that he met you and took you in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Short Steps

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes. Spell check can't fix them all.
> 
> Other chapters will be longer.

_Fuck fuck fuck fuck!_ You thought as you quickly ran home. Andrew was going to fucking kill you. 

You had planned to get home on time, but the lines at the film store were insane! Who the fuck still buys Polaroid film anyway!

Well, you. But that's besides the point.

The point is a Polaroid film store should not be this crowded on a Sunday evening.

Your feet started to hurt and your lungs burned, but you didn't stop running. If you were too late, 'Drew was going to be pissed. You smile as you see your apartment building and rush in, pressing the elevator button. You tapped your foot impatiently, feeling waves of anxiety creep up on you. 

'Fuck it,' You thought as you turned for the stairs. You took them two at a time, not even tripping once. 

Quickly opening the door of your home, you rush inside, closing it quietly behind you.

"Andrew?" You said quietly before seeing him sitting on the couch, phone in hand. Fuck.

"You were gone long." Andrew said, not looking up from his phone. You knew you were in trouble. 

"I'm sorry Andrew, the lines were long and the elevator was slow-" 

"Do you think I fucking care?" He interrupted you, his hands curling into fists. "You were supposed to be home by five, and you are 10 fucking minutes late!" He started to yell, setting his phone down and finally glaring at you as he stood. You were fucked. 

"I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'll make it up to you, here let me make you dinner." You tried to walk into the kitchen, away from him, But he grabbed your wrist _hard_ , pulling you towards him. 

"Get back here bitch! I'm not fucking done with you." 

You wince and try to pull your arm away, "'Drew that hurts!" 

"Oh, boo hoo cry me a fucking river." He said. You start to cry then, and he smiles. Great, just what he wanted.

"P-Please just l-let me go 'Drew." He growled at you when you spoke, letting go of your face to punch you.

"I told you not to fucking call me that whore! You need to fucking listen better." You stumble backwards, making sure not to completely fall over. You feel your cheek throbbing in pain, great another bruise.

"I-I-I'm sor-r-ry, And-drew..." You stutter, trying to keep your voice calm but failing. He tenses his jaw. 

"Get the fuck out of my apartment, you slut." Fuck, was he really kicking you out?

You stare at him in shock, and that made him even more mad. 

"Get out before I break your fucking ugly ass face," He growled and you nodded.

Maybe this could be your break. You could finally run. 

Even if he would come look for you a few days later, you could hide. 

You had been trying to run for awhile now...

Fuck it.

You nod again, still shaking as you quickly run into your room. You knew he was close behind so you shoved your most important things into the small bag first, your phone, Polaroid and film, chargers, and wallet before hiding them with clothes. When you saw he still wasn't in here yet, you rush to the nightstand, grabbing the small pocket knife Andrew keeps there. 

Hell, L.A. at night is shit. You will need it. 

When you heard him walk in, you grab your biggest hoodie and the backpack and rush out. He yells at you the whole time; calling you names and other insults, but you ignored him, only a few tears slipping out. 

You couldn't turn back now. You fucking couldn't. This was your chance to leave him, even if it's just for a week or less. You had to leave. 

The door of your- His small apartment was open, so you ran out, favoring the stairs instead of the elevator. You heard one last, "Bitch" before he slammed the door, but you where running too fast to care. 

Did you have a plan? No. Where you going to stop and figure one out? Hell no. You don't have time for that. 

As you rush out of the building and into the cold night air, you cry. You cry and you don't stop running. 

Eventually, you slow down to gather your thoughts. 

Here you were, alone in L.A. at night with only a pocket knife for protection. You had no where to go, no nice relatives close by, and no one to call. This was a new city to you, and with how controlling 'Drew was, you hadn't made any friends.

So, again. Alone in L.A., no where to go, no where to sleep, and with how emotionally exhausted you were, you were fucking tired.

You considered your options. 

One, you could go back to Andrew's place with the risk of getting hurt. No. 

Two, you could find a playground to sleep in. Maybe.

Three, you could break into someplace and sleep there. Also no.

So, park it is. 

You look around, trying to figure out where you were. In the distance, you could see a small playground that was abandoned for now. Perfect. You would just have to leave before people get there tomorrow.

You jogged over to the small jungle gym, seeing one of those small tunnel things that was close to the ground. You sigh, thinking how uncomfortable this is going to be. You already miss your bed. 

No, you have to be strong. In the morning you can find someplace else to make your temporary home. 

You climbed into the tunnel, putting your bag in your lap and covering it with your hoodie to hide it. You grab your pocket knife and keep it in your hand so it's easily accessible. Hey, better to be overly cautious than to get robbed. 

You already knew you weren't going to get much sleep tonight. It was cold and uncomfortable in this tinny ass tunnel. But you had to try.

You didn't know if Andrew was going to try and run after you soon, and even if he did you would still run from him. You were fucking done being his punching bag. You were done with dealing with his hurtful words and him controlling your life.

You were done.

And you were terrified. 

Closing your eyes, you drift into a light sleep, never letting go of the knife.


	2. Deep Breath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to get one more chapter out before school started, so I woke up early to write. Don't know when I'll be able to update again. Hopefully before the end of January.
> 
> Y/N is Your Name
> 
> Again, spelling and grammar isn't my strongest subject, so there may be mistakes I didn't catch.

Waking up cold and wet is never a pleasant thing, especially if you wake up feeling an unknown hand on your shoulder and a voice next to you. 

You slowly try to open your eyes, and in realizing where you were, they shot open. You looked around you, anxiety tugging at your thoughts before looking at the man next to you. 

In a panic, you grab your pocket knife and open it. You guess that he sees it, cause he slowly backs his hand away from your shoulder. You tighten your grip on your backpack and knife.

"'M not giving you my stuff." You said, voice shaking. You curse yourself for not sounding stronger. 

"I'm not going to take your stuff, I promise," The man said. You pull your backpack on to your shoulders non the less, keeping your eyes on the man the whole time. 

"Are you okay?" He asks in a soft voice. You scoot back in the tunnel a little, slowly trying to leave it so that you could run. He notices this, and backs away. "Here, you can get out now." 

Slowly, you climb out of the small yellow tunnel, knife still in your grip.

When you stand up, you finally, fully, look at the man in front of you. He had blue hair with shaved sides, stubble on his face, and a strong build. He didn't look that threatening... but he was much stronger than you. You know if he tried anything you wouldn't be able to struggle.

"I'm fine." You answer, "What do you want." You hate that you sound so rude. Being mean just wasn't your thing. But you didn't know this man. And by the looks of it, it's still very early in the morning. Maybe five or six if you had to guess.

"Oh! I was just wondering why someone as young as you was sleeping in a tunnel," He said, laughing a little at the end. 

"Reasons." You didn't like that he was asking so many questions. Did 'Drew send him to find you? Would He already start doing that? You didn't know, and it scared you. "And i'm not young, I'm 24." 

"Really? You look like you could be 18! And you are shorter than me?" 

You ignore his comments and grab your big grey hoodie from the tunnel and started to walk away. You wish that you could put it on, but that would give this man a chance to grab you. Later, you would. When you were hidden. 

"Wait!" He said, grabbing your wrist. You flinch, it wasn't as hard as Andrew's grip, but with the left over bruise there it hurt. When he saw you in pain, he immediately let go. You hope he didn't notice any bruises on you.

You turn around, "What?" 

"Would you maybe like to get something warm to drink with me? You look really cold and I don't want you to get sick." He said with a smile. 

Don't want me to get sick? Why would he care if I got sick? Well... coffee or tea really did sound good right now. And he does seem like a somewhat trustworthy person. You might as well take up his offer. 

"Fine." You say, and he smiled again. He looked nice when he smiled- No, not thinking that. You don't know this man. You mentally slap yourself. 

"Alright! I know there's a cafe around here, just two blocks down the street!" You nodded and followed him. 

Walking side by side with someone other than Andrew was strange. Not bad, but strange. 

Suddenly he stopped. You stared up at him questionably, you weren't at a cafe.

Anxiety played with your mind, was he with 'Drew? Did he send this man to get you?

"You should put that hoodie of your's on. It'll help." He said. Okay, Maybe he wasn't associated with 'Drew. You nod and take your backpack off, setting it down and putting your foot in the strap loop, just in case. Quickly, you put your hoodie on. It was a little damp, but still warmer than not wearing it. You notice that he was still there, and so was your backpack. That gained him some trust points. 

"Well, lets go! You'll love this cafe! It's so warm and-" He kept talking, but you just ignored him. You grabbed your backpack off the floor and you both started walking.

 

________

 

It was warm in the small cafe and it smelled of coffee. There was soft music playing over speakers and quiet sleepy muttering of people having conversations. You had ordered a small coffee and went to sit down to wait for the man. 

The chairs were soft and comfortable, which you needed after sleeping in a hard tunnel made for children. Your backpack was next to you on the floor by the wall, out of sight of others. You quickly checked the items in it, making sure that nothing got destroyed or damaged last night, and nothing did. You sighed in relief. 

The man slowly walked to the table you were sitting in with the drinks in hand. You closed your backpack and pulled it closer. He smiled at you and sat down, placing your's in front of you. You wrapped your cold hands around it, savoring the warmth. 

"So," He said when he sat down. "What's your name?"

You paused for a moment. Could you trust him? You hadn't made any friends in LA before, so maybe this was your chance to branch away from 'Drew.

"...Y/N." You said. 

"I'm Mark," He said in response. "So, uh why were you sleeping in a kids tunnel?" 

Here we go, he's going to question you about shit.

You look down at your coffee cup, unsure how to answer. Could you tell the truth? Could you trust him? 

"I... got kicked out." You said, figuring that it would work for now. 

"Kicked out? I'm so sorry. Do you have anywhere to stay? Any friends or relatives nearby? I could drive you if you want." 

Why was he being so nice to you? You had just met him... And you were so mean to him at first. 

"Not really. I just moved here." That wasn't really a lie either. You had only been here for about 3 years now with Andrew. 

"Where'd you move from?" 

"East coast." 

"Damn, do you have a job?" 

"No." 'Drew never let you work. He said he wanted you to stay home and relax. 

'Drew never let you do anything really. Sometimes if he was in a good mood, he would let you go out shopping as long as you got home on time. He must have had a bad day that day to get that mad about being late. Usually it was only a hit or a smack or...

You didn't want to think about the last one. 

"Well," Mark started. You looked back up at him. "Would you like to stay with me for awhile? Just until you get back on your feet. I have a spare room in my house. I do have roommates but they'll be out of state for a month or so." 

You looked at him in disbelief. He just... Offered a room to you? What?

"I... I don't know." You said. 

"You don't have to of course, but I don't want you sleeping on the streets." 

You looked back down at your coffee. Why wouldn't he want you sleeping on the streets? Why would he care? 

Well, you didn't have anywhere else to go. And you did trust him a little. Just until you get back on your feet. Then you could leave and start on your own.

"I guess that wold work." He smiled at your answer. 

"Great! After you are finished with your coffee we can go!" 

He was very happy for some reason. 

You felt the knife in your front pocket shift.

If anything went wrong, you still had that.


	3. Everything is Alright

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it turns out I have more time after school than I thought. I'm planning to try and slow it down now to one chapter a week, giving me time to get ahead in my writing and finish it sooner than it will be updated. 
> 
> I'm going to update every Tuesday from now on so I can actually start a schedule for writing all the things I want to write. 
> 
> Also! There is going to be a lot of backstory in this and the next two chapters, then the real romancey shit will start with the major plot. I'm hoping this Fic will be more than 10 chapters, but less than 15. We'll see. 
> 
> As always, Y/N is Your Name, and i'm sorry for all spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Enjoy!
> 
> Edit: I just changed the chapter titles to something better. Thank god, those old ones sucked. Hopefully these are better.

Mark's house was very neat, much unlike Andrews. While 'Drew's apartment was littered with cigarette buds and empty beer bottles, Mark's was clean with hardwood floors and a large kitchen. It was very different from your old one, but not bad.

It felt like a home. 

"What do you think? I know its not better than that yellow tube thing but," Mark joked, you gave a small laugh and he smiled. "It's good to hear you laugh. I was getting worried there." 

You rolled your eyes at him. 

"It's very clean." You say.

"That's because Ryan and Matt aren't here. When they are here the place is a mess. Just wait." 

Mark took you upstairs, showing you where Matt and Ryan's room was. He stopped at his own room and told you that you were welcome in it any time and if you needed anything to come and get him. You nodded. 

"And this is your room," He said as he opened a door. The room looked unused but clean.

You walked in and set your bag on the bed. Mark leaned against the door frame and watched you. 

"You can change it up if you have anything you want to hang up or change, I don't mind." He said. 

"Thank you so much. I really appreciate it." You say quietly. This will take a lot of getting used to. 

"It's not a problem, really. I'll leave you to get changed. And if you want to shower or anything the bathroom is right across from you, towels are in the closet in the bathroom. You can use whatever's in the shower for yourself, I don't mind. I'll be downstairs." He said. You thanked him again as he left, shutting the door behind him.

You take a deep breath at look at your surroundings. The bed sheets where white, and the comforter looked extremely soft. The walls where a very light blue, almost white looking and the floor was hardwood. It was a cute room, better than the one at Andrews. 

No, you have to stop comparing everything to him. The less you think about him the easier it will be.

You decide what to do first. A shower does sound nice, but you should unpack the small about of things you have. You grab your backpack and open it, pulling out the clothes first. You had three shirts, one pair of jeans and one pair of sweat pants, four pairs of various underwear and three pairs of socks; minus the stuff you were already wearing. You wished you had packed more, but you just didn't have time. Maybe one day you could go back in the apartment when Andrew is gone and take more of your stuff. 

Just maybe.

You put your clothes in the small wardrobe by the door before going back to your bag. You just had your phone, Polaroid and film, chargers, and wallet left. You checked your phone and saw messages from Andrew. Your chest gets tight and your hands shake. It would be best to block his number, so you do so before you get the chance to read the messages. 

You set your phone and charger on the nightstand before grabbing your Polaroid and newly bought box of film. Checking it over, you see that it was perfectly fine. You thank whatever god you may or may not believe in before setting it on your pillow for safety. If that thing ever broke you would be devastated. Your best friend bought that for you years ago.

The last thing in there was your wallet, so you grab it and check the inside. Drivers license, ID, debit card, credit card, and 53 dollars cash. Thank god you still had some money and your ID. You shove that in the nightstand drawer for safety. 

Shower. That was next. You get some clean clothes, but decide to keep wearing your shirt. It was dry by now and you only had a few options for clothing. 

Just as Mark said, the bathroom was right across the hall. It was small, but it had a shower. That's all you cared about. You grabbed a towel from where he said they would be and set it on the closed toilet along with your clothes. 

You were a little nervous about showering in a strangers home, so you kept the pocketknife within arms reach of the shower. 

Undressing, you put your clothes next to the door and step into the shower, turning it to a temperature you like. 

You closed your eyes, letting the water hit your back. It was only one night you were without a home and you already never wanted to go back. 

You start to think about Mark. He seemed like a very nice and caring person, but he was new to your world. You don't know if he knows how to deal with someone who...

Who is as fucked up as you-

Nope, no more negative thoughts. You can save that for when you aren't using up someone else's water bill. 

Quickly, you finish showering, making sure to only use a little bit of shampoo and body wash. You turn the water off and step out of the shower before drying off and getting dressed. Again, you put the small knife in your front pocket. 

You looked at your reflection in the mirror over the sink. There was bruises; some new some old and fading; littering your body. It hurt to look, so you stopped. You grabbed your dirty clothes and towel and went back into the room. 

You find a small basket by the closet and figure it was for laundry, so you put your dirty clothes in it and hang your towel over the closet door. You took a deep breath and readied yourself for talking. You knew Mark had questions, and he let you stay here, so you might as well answer them truthfully. Not full answers though, not yet. 

Now calmer than before, somewhat at least, you step out of your room and walk down the hall and down the stairs. You could hear Mark hum some random tune to your left, so you followed it into the kitchen. 

Seeing him in his own home was weird. It felt like you were spying on someone. You didn't like it at all.

"Oh! Y/N! I didn't see you there." He said. You walked up to the island and sat on one of the stools on the other side of Mark.

"Yeah, sorry."

"No no, don't apologize. It's fine." He smiled at you and turned.

"What are you doing?" You ask. 

"Making some spaghetti for you, it's easy and fast. You like spaghetti, right?" You nod and he lets out a relieved sigh. "Good cause its almost all I can make." 

Mark put the noodles in the boiling water after finishing the sauce. He turned to you and leaned against the counter. 

"So," He started. "Why'd you get kicked out?" 

You sigh, you knew he would ask questions. 

"Boyfriend kicked me out. The place was under his name." Mark nodded. 

"Is he why you are covered in bruises?" 

He had to go straight for it didn't he. 

"Yeah. He gets angry a lot." 

"Angry about what?" 

"You know, me being late, talking back, trying to make friends, calling him nicknames. Stuff like that." 

'What? That's fucking stupid." Mark sighed and crossed his arms. 

"But he was nice sometimes. He lets me buy film for my Polaroid and supports my photography." You smile, remembering how excited he was when you showed him your pictures. 

"He still sucks. I mean who doesn't let someone make friends?" 

"Andrew." 

"Still."

He finishes making the spaghetti and puts some on two plates before placing one in front of you with a fork. You both start eating while he keeps asking you questions.

You talk about how your parents really liked Andrew and how nice he was at first. About how he would bring you flowers every day. You told him how he wanted to marry you, but you refused. You weren't ready at that time.

That was the first time he hit you. 

You didn't tell your parents about that, and you still haven't. You tell Mark about how you wish you did tell them, cause then you wouldn't have had to move away. You talk about how 'Drew was actually the one to suggest moving, and how you just agreed numbly. About how he picked the house and who I could talk to. About how you just went along with stuff and you let him hit you. You told him you have tried to run away in the past, but he would always find you and convince you to come back with sweet words and gifts. You told Mark a lot of stuff.

But you didn't tell him about _it._

"Damn, that's fucked up." Mark finally said, you agree with him. He took both of your empty plates and put them in the sink. "If I ever meet this guy I swear I'm going to kick his butt." 

"If you do let me watch." You joked, Mark laughed a little. He had a nice laugh. 

After a few more conversations, he got back up and stretched.

"Well, I have some videos to record today, So make yourself at home." 

"You record videos?" 

"Yeah! I'm a YouTuber, and I get paid for it." He put his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest, fake bragging. You couldn't help but laugh. 

"That's so cool." You said. "What do you do in your videos?" 

"Pretty much just play video games while screaming." You laugh again, and his smile gets bigger. "Well, I better get started. You can do whatever you want in the meantime. I have an Xbox hooked up on the TV and if you get hungry again, eat whatever you want." You nod. 

"Have fun!" You say, and he waves a goodbye as he walks into another room. 

You sigh happily. Mark was a really nice and funny person, and you even feel comfortable around him!

Maybe,

You could get used to this.


	4. Chin up, I can't

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter! But Your relationship with Mark starts getting more romance-y next chapter!
> 
> As always, Y/N is your name!

Being alone in someone else's home was strange. 

No, living in someone else's home was strange. 

A few hours had passed since Mark had left to record. You had decided to turn on Netflix to distract you, but it hadn't been doing that good of a job, even with how 'entertaining' Gilmore Girls was. Hey, you couldn't find anything else okay. 

But no matter how good of a distraction you had, you still ended up thinking about him.

Andrew. 

You start to remember the first time you had met him. You were still living in your parents house despite being 21. You were saving up for collage by yourself so your parents didn't have to pay themselves. You wanted them to use that money for retirement. 

You were at a bar with your best friend. It hadn't really been your idea to go, but they wanted to go so you agreed, figuring when you both got home you could just relax. 

While your friend was off in the bathroom, someone walked up to you and tapped you on your shoulder, when you turned around to face them, they were sitting in the chair next to you at the bar, smiling. 

"Hey there, my names Andrew. What's your's?" He asked confidently. You answered him, figuring that he only wanted a short conversation. 

An hour later proved that wrong. 

He started talking about his plans with you, telling you how he planned to move to LA soon to start his own business. He smiled the whole time while talking about it, his eyes shinning. You guess that's why you fell for him.

You talked about your photography and how you wished you could get your stuff in a gallery, it was your dream. He listened the whole time. It was nice, being able to talk about your passions like that.

You both exchanged numbers after that, him smiling the whole time.

Eventually, your friend came back and asked if you were ready to leave. You nodded at her and turned to Andrew.

"I'll talk to you later, 'Drew!" You saw his fists tighten. 

"Just call me Andrew." He said. You apologized before waving one last goodbye to him. 

On the way home, you thought about his reaction to being called 'Drew. You wondered why he disliked it so much. You decided that you would ask him yourself later.

You both ended up texting most of that night. You asked him why he disliked the nickname Drew so much.

"It's too informal. I am stronger than you, so you should treat me with respect and call me by my real name." Is what he had said. You laughed it off like a joke at the time, figuring he just didn't want to tell you the real reason.

That should have been your first warning. 

You sigh as you look back up at the screen, seeing Rory and some other kid who's name you could remember talk. leaned your head back onto the couch and closed your eyes. 

You have to stop thinking about him.

Finally, Mark came out of his recording room. You turned to him and smiled. 

"How'd it go?" You asked. He smiled and sat down next to you.

"Good! Better than expected actually. I only screamed three times!" He said proudly. You laugh and roll your eyes.

"Only three times huh? Wow." You say sarcastically. He chuckles and turns to the screen. 

"What's this?" 

"Gilmore Girls. I used to watch it with my mom forever ago. It's alright I guess. Just put it on as a distraction though." 

"Huh, I think my mom used to watch this too! My stepmom as well!" 

"Yeah, It's a pretty 'mom' show." You joke. He rolls his eyes and leans back, looking back up at the screen. "You can change it if you want." 

"You sure?" He says, looking over at you to make sure it's really okay. You nod. 

He ends up changing it to something you don't recognize, which is fine. It was entertaining enough to get sucked into anyway. 

This place was slowly starting to feel comforting to you, and it hasn't even been a day. It was still too soon to tell, but you think you could really make an actual temporary home out of this place.

But you were still weary of Mark

You don't know him yet. He seems like a trust worthy person, and he's fun to talk to, but that could all be a trap. You still glance at him whenever me moves too quickly and you still keep that knife with you at all times. 

Again, it was still too soon. 

You could start to trust Mark eventually, and you both could become friends. 

God, you hope so.

 

_____

 

Eventually, it got dark outside, just like it did every night. 

You and Mark ended up spending that whole day watching stuff on Netflix. It was nice. During the boring episodes, he told you about his life. He told you about his dad and how he wanted to become an engineer, but decided against it. He told you about his family, and he told you about his channel and how he goes to conventions almost every year. 

It was nice to hear about his life, he kept a smile on his face the whole time, even though the sad parts. You admired that.

You parted ways with Mark at about 10ish to get ready for bed. He wished you a goodnight and you waved back, too tired to really say anything. 

The last few days had been really hard for you, and you were exhausted. 

As you got into your room, you closed the door. You considered locking it, but deciding against it. You would just keep your pocket knife under your pillow. 

You walk up to your bed and move your Polaroid off the pillow and onto the nightstand before climbing into bed and turning the lamp beside you off. 

God, did you miss sleeping in a bed. 

One night without it can surely make a difference. 

You decide to check your phone, just in case you had any other messages. Upon unlocking your phone, you see you have a message from your best friend. You smile and read it. 

'Hey, Y/N! Just wondering how you're doin'!" 

You sigh, figuring you should really tell them everything. You reply with a quick:' Call me in the morning! I have to tell you something <3' before turning your phone off for the night.

As you settle in, you smile. It's good that they keep in contact with you, maybe you can visit them eventually! 

That would be nice.


	5. Step into the Spotlight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm updating a bit early because tomorrow I'll be busy! 
> 
> I didn't really like how this chapter ended up, but I couldn't figure out how to extend/fix it. 
> 
> As always, (Y/N) is Your name and (BF/N) is your Best Friends name.

You woke up to the sound of your phone ringing beside you. You groan and pick it up, pressing answer before pressing it to your ear.

"Hello?" You asked groggily. 

"(Y/N)! Hey!" You slowly sit up in your bed, recognizing the voice instantly. 

"(BF/N)?" You had forgotten that they were supposed to call you in the morning.

"Who else would it be?" 

"True." You look over at the clock, seeing that it's still only 7 in the morning. That gave you an hour before Mark said that he would wake up. Perfect. "How have you been?" 

"Really good! I'm a junior in college now, though I still don't know my major. Woops!" They laughed, you shook your head.

"You should really figure that out." You were only half serious though, you knew they would graduate without a problem.

"Yeah yeah, anyway, tell me what happened! You said it was important?" 

"Really Important actually." You say. You start to explain to them what happened with Andrew and how you finally ran away from him. How you slept in a tube for a night and how Mark found you and took you to a cafe, then let you stay with him. You made sure to emphasize that Mark was really nice and a good person so far, and that you kept a form of protection near you so that they wouldn't worry. 

The whole time they listened carefully, making small comments on things every once in awhile. They already somewhat knew what was going on with 'Drew, so you didn't have to fully explain the abuse. Which was good, you don't think you could after that long conversation with Mark yesterday.

"Are you sure that this Mark guy is trustworthy? What does he even do for a living?" They ask.

"Well, he makes videos for YouTube I think. I'm pretty sure he plays video games in them, but he gets paid for it," You answer. "He's pretty popular on there." You hear a pause on the phone.

"Wait. Fuck! You're living with Markiplier? And you didn't even tell me!" You heard an exaggerated gasp through the receiver.

"Markiplier? Is that like his username or something? How do you know him?" 

"That's his channel name, well its actually markipliergame. He's one of the gamers I watch like, constantly. I guess you wouldn't have known that. I got into YouTube like two years ago." they sigh, "You don't even know who he is and you're living with him."

"Temporarily." You correct. You can practically hear them roll their eyes at you. 

You both talk back and forth for another 20 minutes about random things before they say that they have to head to their morning class, you say good bye before you hang up, placing your phone back on the table. 

When you stand up to stretch, you hear your phone buzz one more time, it's an unknown number. You pick it up and read the text.

"Whore." was all it said. You immediately block that number, figuring that it was Andrew. God, you're already tired of his shit.

You placed your phone in your sweatpants pocket before heading downstairs. 

Mark was leaning against the counter in the kitchen when you got downstairs. He smiles at you.

"Morning!" He says, a bit too cheery for how early it was. 

"Morning." You say back. 

"How'd you sleep?" He asks. You shrug.

"Alright I guess, better than that tube." 

"I'd hope so." 

"Hey, where are the cups?" You ask, looking at the cabinets. Mark opened one of them and pulled a cup out for you, you thank him before turning on the sink and filling the cup.

"I don't have anything to do today," Mark says. "So is there anything you want to do?" You look down at your cup. You should probably buy some clothes if you're going to stay here for awhile.

"I do need some more clothes, I only had time to grab a few things before I left, and I do have money with me." 

"We can do that! I know a really good place to go shopping for clothes!" He says.

"Okay! What time should we go?" You ask.

"How does 11ish sound? That gives us a few hours to wake up and get ready." 

"Sure!"

 

_________

 

Mark was right when he said he knew where to buy clothes. There was at least 30 clothing stores in this mall. You were overwhelmed. You didn't need that much anyway!

"Where do you want to start?" Mark asked as you looked at the directory. You pointed at an Old Navy, cheap and warm. That's all you needed until you could get your real clothes from Andrew's. 

"Old Navy works for now." You say. Mark nods. "And I'm paying for it." 

"But!-" 

"But nothing. You're letting me live at your house, plus I have money to pay for it." Despite saying that, he still pouts. You roll your eyes at him and walk into the direction of the Old Navy. 

When you got there, you and Mark browse the store for awhile. It was nice, just you and him talking while looking at clothes.

"What do you wanna get?" Mark asks. You think for a second.

"Well I should get more shirts and jeans. These shoes work for now, but I'll need socks." You say, thinking out loud to yourself. Mark looks around before heading into the area with shirts. 

You and him gather some clothes while talking. About an hour later, you had what you needed. 

At the end of it all, you had 2 new shirts, 1 pair of jeans, and 4 pairs of socks. When Mark wasn't looking you grabbed some new underwear. Hey, you didn't have to show him what you wore under your clothes! 

While checking out, Mark talked with the checkout lady. She seemed to know him from his YouTube channel. They took a selfie together before she bagged your new clothes. She didn't ask who you were, just smiled at you, Mark seemed relieved at that. 

You and Mark walked out of the store, deciding to walk around the mall while you were there. 

You both started to head for the food court before you stopped dead in your tracks. Mark looked at you curiously.

"What's wrong, (Y/N)?" He asked.

You didn't know what to do. You didn't prepare for this. 

"We have to leave now." You said. Mark looked at you questionably before following your line of sight. He saw who you were looking at, but didn't recognize who they were. Why would he though? He had never met Andrew. 

Why was he here? He had a mall that was closer to his place! And why was he holding on to another persons hand? Who was she? 

Before you could say or think anything else, Mark grabbed your hand and walked in the other direction with you quickly. You ignored how your heart beat a little faster when he held it, and he didn't question why you had said to leave, but he guessed why. You would have to thank him later for not asking you anything while you were freaking out. You don't think you could've answered him anyway.

You and Mark headed for the mall exit in silence, his hand still holding yours. Mark's hand was surprisingly warm, it was nice. He didn't let go the whole way back to his house either.

When you both were safely inside, you looked up at him. 

"You can let go of my hand now." You said. His face turned a little red as he let go.

"Right, sorry," He gave a nervous laugh. He was cute when he blushed. 

Wait. 

Nope you weren't thinking that. 

"Thank you for getting me out of there, I don't know if I could've done that by myself." You quickly changed the subject. He seemed relieved at that. 

"It's not a problem, really." He said. You smiled up at him and he smiled back. 

"Well, I should probably put these clothes away before I procrastinate too much." You said. He nods and lets you walk upstairs with your bag. 

When you close your door to your room, you set the bag down in the corner and take a deep breath. 

There was two questions you couldn't stop thinking about.

One: Why Andrew was at that mall with someone you didn't recognize?

Two: Why did you think that Mark was cute and why did you're heart beat like that when he held your hand?


	6. She said, "I'm sad,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayo plot development!   
> Okay, I think I'm going to update on mondays from now on because I'm super busy on tuesdays.  
> Also! The actual real romance shit is starting within the next few chapters! I swear this time. It's just writing the start of romance is super hard for me but I got it!   
> Major rape tw for this chapter.

It's been about a week and a half now since you started staying with Mark. You had pretty much settled in by now, and you have started to think about applying to jobs soon so that you could pay for yourself instead of making Mark pay for everything. You never did like letting people baby you. 

Mark had been very nice to you, and you don't know how to deal with it. You were so used to being put down by someone you live with, that it was strange to have someone around who was friendly and respected you. It's deffinatly not a bad thing though, just strange.

Especially strange when you had a small crush on the person who was being nice to you.

Yes, you finally admit it. You have a crush on Mark. It was hard to admit, though you probably knew back when he first held your hand, and developed through the week.

You sigh as you look up from your phone. You had been looking for a nice place to take pictures at online via google maps, but haven't found anything that would suit your tastes. LA is a very urban city after all, and you were more of a nature person with your photography. 

You should probably just ask Mark, but he was busy today. He said he had a lot of recording to do, so he locked himself in his recording studio room and told you to only interrupt him if it was important. You agreed of course, that was his job after all. 

But right now, you regretted agreeing. You were fucking bored and wanted to _do_ something. You were still too nervous to go out on your own, so your options were limited. 

Well, you could try to go out on your own. You doubt that you would see 'Drew at a park, considering he has nothing to do at a park. 

Plus, you have to get over that anxiety somehow. 

Alright, it's settled then. You are going to do this!

You grab your backpack and put your Polaroid and extra film, just in case, in there with your wallet, a sharpie, and newly bought headphones. You grab your phone and send Mark a quick, "I'm going to the park!" before leaving your room. 

In the kitchen, you grab a bottle of water and an apple for later. You put both in your backpack before heading outside. 

You couldn't help but smile as you felt the fresh air enter your lungs. You felt a surge of adventure and confidence flow through you. You had no idea where a park would be, and you were excited to find one. You felt like a rebellious teenager again.

The sky only held a few clouds, and it was quite warm, so you left without a jacket, figuring you would be back before it got dark and cold. 

You head out to the sidewalk and walk to the right, going in the opposite direction of the sun. You pull out your headphones and plug them into your phone before playing your favorite song. 

You look to the left and see a decent sized park with a few family's around it. You smile and head over, crossing the street quickly before walking to the swings. 

The mulch shifts under your feet as you sit on one of the swings. You take your backpack off and set it infront of you and unzip it. You grab your camera. 

"Excuse me?" You hear a small voice say. You look up from your camera and see a little girl looking at you.

"Yes?" 

"What's that?" The girl says as she points to your camera. You smile. 

"It's a very old camera that can take pictures, and give them to you right away on paper!" You say. The little girl stares at it in awe, obviously amazed at the camera. You always loved how easily children got excited. 

"Can you show me?" She asks. 

"Of course!" You say. "I'm going to take a picture of you, so hold real still!" The girl nods and holds still, keeping a smile on her face. You lift the Polaroid up to your face and take a picture. 

A moment later, the picture comes out. You reach for it and pull it out. The girl looks at it and frowns. 

"Why is it all black?" She asks. 

"Well, it takes a few seconds for it to become a picture." You say. The girl nods and sits on the swing next to you. 

"What's your name?" She asks.

"(Y/N), whats yours?"

"Lily." 

"That's a very pretty name." You say, she smiles and thanks you. You look at the photo and smile, seeing it's fully developed by now. You lift it up and show Lily, and she gasps. 

"Wow! That's so cool!" She says. You laugh, little kids where so cute. 

"Lily!, time to go sweetheart!" You hear a woman say. Lily frowns and gets of the swing. 

"My mommy is calling me, but it was nice to meet you!" She says. 

"It was nice to meet you too!" You say. Lily waves goodbye as she skips away to her mother. You smile and look at the picture. You reach into your backpack and pull out the sharpie you brought before writing, "Lily" on it along with the date. You safely tucked the picture into the front pocket of your bag and tossed the sharpie in the big pocket.

 

_____

 

It was raining and you were fucking cold. 

You don't remember exactly when it had started, but it sure was sudden. 

All of the family's have left the park by now, but you were still there. You wanted to get pictures of the rain, so you hid under the park so you wouldn't get wet. 

You did get a few pictures in, and they looked really nice. You were going to take more, that is until it started thundering and lightning. 

You knew you had to get back to Mark's, but you couldn't move. You were trying desperately not to have a flashback, but it was getting harder and harder not to.

_Thunder rolled through the sky as you felt his hands on you._

You shook your head, not wanting these thoughts to come back. 

_The lightning lit up the room and you saw his face, his grinning awful face._

You're not to sure where the rain stops and when your tears begin anymore. 

_"I love you." He says, his fingers sending knives into your lungs._

You somehow manage to pull out your phone, quickly finding Mark's contact and pressing the call button.

_Foggy head, heavy limbs, and his hands- that's all you could feel._

"Please, please answer." You mumble to yourself. It was getting darker outside, and you were scared. 

_You don't remember when you stopped breathing, but you couldn't find the courage to start again._

"Hello?" Mark's voice rolled from the phone. You gave a sob of relief. 

"Mark, I-I need you to come and g-get me." You said through sobs. 

"(Y/N)? Are you okay? Where are you?" His voice sounded worried. 

_"Andrew, s-stop." You had managed to say, but he kept going. He kept going._

"The park, the p-park near your house." 

"I'll be there soon." He said as he hung up. You put your phone back into your backpack with shakey hands.

_Thunder, lightning, thunder, lightning, the storm seemed never ending._

You curled up into a ball, pressing your fists to your face. 

_He didn't stop._

You felt a hand on your shoulder and you looked up. Mark. He was here. 

_Why didn't he stop?_

He carried you on your back. Your face was pressed into his shoulder as he walked you home. 

_You didn't sleep that night._

It was warm in the house, but you were cold inside. You didn't like things that contrasted very much.

_He didn't stop._

Mark sat you down on the couch and took your backpack from you, placing it on the floor before sitting next to you and pulling you into a hug. 

He was warm. 

You hugged him back and cried. God, you fucking cried and you couldn't stop. And he just kept you pressed to his chest and rubbed your back, whispering nice things to you, and it made you cry more. 

Mark kissed the top of your head and hugged you tighter. 

"It's okay, i'm here now." He said as he rocked you slightly. You gripped onto his shirt. 

Eventually, you had stopped crying, only short breathy sobs escaping you every few moments now. You leaned back and wiped your tears away, Marks arms loosely around you.

"S-Sorry." You say, finally feeling the guilt of breaking down in front of him.

"No, no! Don't apologize. You did nothing wrong." He said as he wiped a tear away with his thumb that you missed. He smiled at you and you gave a small smile back. His face was a bit red.

"Thank you, Mark." You hugged him again, face flushed, feeling a lot better now that you cried it out. 

"Any time."


	7. Somehow Without Any Words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this was one day late, I was extremely busy yesterday, so i'm updating this in Drivers Ed class. Yep, posting my sinful fanfic in school. Nice.
> 
> Anyway, this is where all the actual romancy shit starts, though its a slow build, it does happen.

Warmth, an arm around your waist, the beating of another heart; that's what you feel when you slowly come out of sleep.

As the feelings slowly started to register in your head, you panicked a little. Where were you? You sure weren't in your bed, and you couldn't smell cigarettes, so you weren't laying on Andrew. 

Your eyes slowly open, and you look at the person under you. 

It was Mark. 

You both were laying on the couch, you on top of him. Your legs were tangled together and his eyes were closed. You had to say, he did look extremely cute when he was asleep. 

You remember what happened last night. He came to get you after you called him, and he carried you home. He had set you on the couch and sat with you all night until you fell asleep. You guessed that he didn't want to wake you by moving, so he just stayed there all night. 

You should probably get up before he wakes up, but he's so fucking warm and you are so comfortable. You sigh as you get up, already regretting the decision to move. Mark shifts a bit, but doesn't wake up from his sleep. You could still feel the tingling warmth where Mark's hands were on your waist.

Coffee. You need coffee. You used up all your energy last night from crying. 

You walk up to the coffee maker in the kitchen and turn it on, deciding to make a whole pot just in case Mark wanted some. 

You pull yourself up to sit on the counter to wait for the coffee, you knew that you should think about what happened last night, and this might be your only chance today to do that.

_He didn't stop._

You knew that it wasn't your fault that it happened, but you could've tried harder to stop him. Though your not sure if he would have stopped despite that. 

It's not like you hadn't had sex with 'Drew before that. You had, but its just... that night you didn't want to. You were anxious and scared already from the thunder. 

Of course, he didn't listen. Andrew does what he wants, and gets what he wants. It's just how things worked. 

But now, you weren't with him. He couldn't control you anymore. 

So why were you still scared during storms? 

You hear Mark yawn and see him sit up from the couch. He looks a bit confused. 

"Morning, Mark." You say. He looks over at you and smiles. 

"Morning!" He says, you could see him mumble, 'Why am I on the couch?' to himself before his face turned red. Yep, so he does remember last night.

Well, it's not like anything too crazy or weird happened. You just, slept on the same couch while cuddling. 

And, there goes your face, just as red as Marks. 

You turn around in attempt to hide it. Thankfully, the coffee was done, so you had an excuse to not face him. 

You reach up for a mug before setting it down and pouring coffee in it. You were already feeling more awake just from the smell. 

"Want some coffee?" You ask, taking a sip from your own. Mark nods and walks over, getting his own cup and pouring some. You lean against the island counter as he prepares his own. 

"So uh, sorry about last night. I just didn't want to wake you so I just stayed there and-" 

"Mark, It's fine! Seriously I understand," You say. He sighs in relief. 

"I thought you would be mad or something," He said. "I don't know why though." 

"Why would I be mad? I mean wasn't like it was unpleasant..." You say. Your ears turn a bit red, wow you had no filter in the morning did you?

"Oh, umm..." Mark said. His face was red as well. "That's good, I guess." 

You and Mark stand there in silence for awhile, god was this awkward. You really need to just not talk in the morning. 

"Hey, Mark?" You ask, turning to him. 

"Yeah?"

"Do you have string, tape, and paperclips?" You ask. "I took some pictures yesterday and I want to hang them up in my room." 

"Oh! Yes I do, i'll get them for you." He replies. Mark sets down his mug and walks into the other room to get the things you asked for. 

Good, now that that awkward moment was over you could continue your life as normal. 

Mark comes back a few moments later, items in hand. He smiles and hands them over. You thank him before taking them and heading up to your room.

You quickly close the door behind you and set your coffee mug on the nightstand before setting the supplies down on the bed. You look around your room, trying to find your backpack before remembering you had left it downstairs. 

You sigh and open your door again and head down the hall to the stairs. but you stop before heading down them. 

"Seán, stop laughing! I'm trying to be serious here." You heard Mark say. "I think I might like (Y/N) a little bit, and I don't know what to do." 

You stop breathing for a second. What? Mark might like you? But why? 

"They live with me for gods sake! And it's only temporarily..." He said. You really should leave, but you need your bag. 

You decide to just make a lot of noise while going down the stairs, so he has a warning. 

As you walk down the stairs, you hear Mark telling the person on the phone that he has to go. Good, he heard you. 

"Hey, Mark?" You ask when you get to the bottom. 

"Yeah?" He sounded a bit nervous. 

"Can you hand me by bag? I left it next to the couch." 

"Of course!" He says as he stands up. He grabs it and brings it over to you. 

You take it and smile at him.

"Thank you!" You say, he smiles back. 

"Do you need any help?" He asks. You shake your head and head back upstairs. 

You shut your door behind you and walk over to your bed, setting the bag down before sitting down on the floor. 

Mark, might like me? 

No, he had to be talking about another person.

But, who else has your same name who is living with him temporarily?

Fuck. 

Mark likes you. 

Might, might like you. 

You shake your head in attempt to get the thoughts out. You should distract yourself with busy work, and you have just the thing to do that. 

You grab the string and the tape, walking over to the wall by your bed and taping one end there before taping the other end to the other wall near your bed. 

There, it will hang across your bed. 

Next, you grab your bag and open it. You take out the 5 pictures you took and place them on your bed. You grab the ones of the rain and place them on, before placing the regular ones beside it. 

You grab the last picture and look at it. It's the one with Lily on it. You smile and hang it up in the middle before stepping back to admire your work. 

The room somehow looks more alive now with it, instead of just looking like a guest room. You're glad that you thought of doing this.


	8. I Just Stood There,

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super short chapter, woops! But at least the update is early!  
> Next chapter will be longer, as will all the others. I just couldn't seem to extend this one any farther.

_Mark might like you._

You look down at the photo in your hand. It was a picture of you and Mark that you had taken the day after you heard him saying that he might like you. 

You curl up in your bed, staring at the picture, more specifically, at Mark. He had his arm around your shoulder and was smiling. God, he had such an amazing smile. 

You knew that nothing would ever work between you two. You were going to leave his house eventually and go off on your own, as far from Andrew as possible. Yet, some part of you can't help but hope-that maybe you could be something, something together.

You laugh inwardly at your teenage thinking. You were an adult. There was no time to dwell on silly crushes. 

But there's a chance this might not be 'just a silly crush'. You might... really like Mark. 

No, you might actually be in love. Though its way to soon to tell, you have a feeling that you might be in love with the man that saved you, no matter how cliche that sounds.

God, you haven't felt this way in a long, long time.

A knock on your door makes you sit up and shove the picture under your pillow. You take a deep breath.

"Come in," You say. The door opened and Mark walked in smiling.

"Hey!" He said. "I wanted to talk to you about something." 

"Oh, um sure," You say. He sits down on your bed and you move to sit next to him. "What's up?" 

"So uh, I know you don't like thunder right? But I've never seen someone react like that when they had astraphobia." 

"Well, uh..." You know that you should tell him, but you don't know how he would react. "You see..." 

Mark sits patiently for your answer.

_He didn't stop._

You decide to tell him.

"I've never really liked loud noises or flashing lights, so obviously thunder scared me. It wasn't that bad at first. I would just be a bit anxious and I would hide under my covers until it was over. Easy as that.

"But one time, when it was thundering, I was with Andrew. I went over to him and told him about my fear. He brought me into the bedroom and laid there with me for awhile. It was nice, I almost forgot that it was thundering. 

"Then, he started to... try and 'distract me' I guess. I laughed it off and told him to stop, but he didn't. He climbed on top of me and held me down and..." 

You took a deep breath. 

"The whole time that we... 'did' it, it kept thundering. I repetitively told him to stop, but he didn't. So I guess that's why I'm terrified of thunder now, I get flashbacks every time it storms." You blink hard to make sure that you weren't crying.

You look up at Mark; you couldn't tell if he was angry or sad or both.

"I... I'm so sorry." He said. He wrapped his arms around you and pulled you into a hug. You buried your face into his shoulder and hugged him back.

"It's fine, Mark." You say. "It's in the past now." 

"No it's not fine!" He says. He leans back and looks at you, brows furrowed. "He took advantage of you, (Y/N)!" He reached up and cupped your face with his hand. "You deserve better than that." 

You looked into his eyes and blushed. His hand was so warm... 

Mark quickly leans back, face full on red. He runs a hand through his hair and looks the other way.

"Yeah so uh..." He says. You look down at your hands. What just happened? 

"Thank you, Mark." You say, voice shaky and face flushed. "That really... means a lot to me." He looks over at you and half smiles. You avoid his eyes. 

"Yeah, uh, any time." He says. Mark looks down at his hands and then back up at you-as if hesitant to ask something. "Can I ask you something, (Y/N)?" 

"What is it?" 

Mark takes a deep breath and looks at you. 

"Listen, I uh... might like you? Like in a 'I want to date you way' so uh." He looks away, face red. "You don't have to say yes just to stay in my house though! You don't have to answer at all if you don't want to I just..."

Your heart races and your hands shake-your nerves over taking you. 

"I... like you too, Mark." You say. His eyes dart back up to yours and he smiles; his eyes practically glowing. 

"Really?" He asks, and you can't help but laugh a little.

"Yes really." 

"Well uh, do you want to go out with me then?" 

You couldn't believe this was actually happening. 

"Yes, yes of course Mark." You say, a smile creeping onto your face.

"Good." 

Somehow, you think that this might work. Despite the fear, the anxiety, and the doubt;

You really think that this might work.


	9. Searching for an Answer.

Mark was your boyfriend.

You still can't really believe it yourself, despite it having been a few days since he asked you. Whenever you thought about it, your chest would get tight and you couldn't help but smile each time.

He made you very happy. 

You hadn't kissed yet, which was okay, you were fine with taking things slow-and it was nice. 

Despite not having kissed, you and Mark have been holding hands constantly and cuddling on the couch whenever you could. You had to say, you loved it; this unfamiliar gentleness. 

As of that picture you have of Mark and you, you finally hung it up on the string, not needing to look at it like a love-struck teenager. Now, you could look at him in real life instead, whenever you wanted. 

You loved it.

Mark sat down and wrapped an arm around your shoulders. You smiled at him and leaned back into the couch, turning back to the tv. 

"Hey, Mark?" You asked. Mark turned and looked at you, a smile on his lips. 

"Yeah?" 

"I was thinking of applying to that cafe down the street since I have so much time these days and nothing to do." You said while toying with your hair. Andrew always refused to let you get a job, saying that it was the 'mans' job to provide for their significant other, so you were a little nervous about his answer.

"That sounds great! Do you want me to go down there with you?" 

You smiled, of course Mark would let you get a job. He wasn't 'Drew. "No, I think I can handle it on my own, but thank you for offering." 

"No problem. I'd wish you luck, but I don't think you'll need it. You'll do just fine." 

You smiled at him, but there was something else you needed to ask him. 

"Mark?" You ask while playing with the necklace you had on. 

"Hm?"

"So uh, I've been thinking about this for awhile and... If it's okay with you, i'd like to move in. I know that it's a big step and that we only just started dating, but I really feel that it's the right thing." You say. 

Mark looks down at you and smiles. "Of course that's okay, (Y/N). I was actually thinking the same thing, but I wanted you to be comfortable first." He squeezes the arm he had around your shoulders, pulling you closer. 

______

 

"Congratulations, (Y/N), You've got the job. You can start on Monday." The manager said. You smiled and shook his hand, thanking him for his time. 

You walked out of the cafe with confidence. This wasn't your first job ever. You have had jobs in the past, but it was your first one in awhile. The manager didn't seem to mind that, he was a fairly nice man. 

You couldn't believe how well things were going for you as of recently. You had a job, a place to live, and a wonderful boyfriend. You couldn't as for more. 

Though, some parts of you still wonder where Andrew is, and what he is doing. You know that you shouldn't worry, he is the past now. A past that you should forget. Yet you do worry for him. He is an important part of your past, someone who influenced you, even if it was in a bad way.

He helped you grow into who you are now. 

You guess that you should thank him in a way. If it wasn't for him and his abusive tendencies, you would have never met Mark. You would still be back in your home town living with your parents. 

Quietly, you thank him for who he helped you grow to be.

You look over to the west, seeing the way that you ran from him so long ago. Though in reality, it wasn't that long ago. Maybe three or four weeks. 

You start to head back to where it all started. That small apartment that smelled of cigarettes and abuse. You think that it's time to get your things and officially leave 'Drew's life. 

The walk to his house isn't bad, it's a beautiful day outside. Birds are singing, flowers are blooming. On days like these, you feel your up most confident. You needed that now. 

The apartment building loomed above you, but you didn't let it hurt you. 

With every ounce of self worth and love you had for yourself, you made the march up the stairway to his apartment. When you arrived to his floor, you didn't dwindle on the past. Even when you were right up to his front door, staring at the numbers that rested against the door frame, you didn't pause. 

You, (Y/N), knocked on your abusers door.

The door swings open and you smell him before you even see him. You stand tall, keeping your eyes forward. 

"Andrew," You say. He looks you up and down and smirks. 

"Look who came crawling back."

"Actually, I'm just here to take back the rest of my things." 

'Drew glared at you and scoffed. 

"You think you deserve the shit I bought you?" 

"I don't want the things you bought me, I have things of my own. Let me take them and get out of your life." 

"...Fine." He said coldly, as if made of stone. Though you suspect he's been like that for as long as he was born. 

He steps back and leaves the door open for you, which you take as an invitation to come in. You wordlessly accept it, stepping in the room and closing the door behind you. 

"Your shit's in your room." He mumbled, you nodded and walked back into the place where you used to sleep every night for years. 

The door slowly creeks open, and you see things thrown around and ripped apart. You try not to let that hurt you. You pick up an old suitcase that you found in your closet, and packed it with clothes and shoes. You look around more and find pictures, the few that weren't ripped, of you and (BF/N) that you took with your Polaroid years back when they first gave it to you. You slip them into the front pocket of the suitcase. 

That seemed like a lifetime ago.

You closed the suitcase when you had everything that was yours. Looking around your room, you realized how empty and lifeless it looked now without your presence. It just looked like a junk room, considering the trash thrown about.

You walk out of your room and see Andrew smoking a cigarette. It faintly smelled like weed. 

"I'm leaving." You say, head held high. 

"Good riddance." He said without even glancing at you.

It hurt to realize he no longer loved you. But then again, when did he ever really show that he did? When he bought you jewelry after beating your face in? When he apologized with sex that you didn't even want after insulting you? 

That's not the kind of love you wanted, nor needed in your life. 

With determination, you left his house. No longer looking back at a past that was damaged.

Your life was better without him, and you were slowly learning that. With every day that came, you would move farther away from him.

Yes, it did hurt to think that all of those years with them had been wasted, but you had a new future to look forward too. 

A future with Mark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this, it means a lot to me in so many ways.  
> I wrote this in attempt to find my self worth in myself after my abuse, just as the reader did. And I found that after I wrote this I felt more confident in what happened.  
> If you are experiencing any kind of abuse from anyone, please don't stay with them, even if it's a family member. You all deserve better.  
> Again, thank you for supporting me through this journey. If enough of you want it, I may write an Epilogue!


	10. Epilogue

A year can make a huge difference in how people change, and you are no different than anyone else. In a strange sense, you feel empowerment in the fact. You aren't any different than the others, despite your past or theirs. Everyone is still human. 

You look over to Mark. He's sleeping peacefully beside you, a small bit of droll coming out of his mouth. You smile and roll your eyes. He wasn't the most graceful sleeper. Your hand finds its way to his hair and you run your fingers through it. The bright red looks nice against your skin. 

A year ago today, you were sleeping in a yellow tunnel made for children, hoping to whatever could hear that _he_ wouldn't find you. A year ago today you were covered in bruises and had heartache in your chest. A year ago today you met the love of your life.

It's strange to think how drastically someone can change in a year. Yes, it's a long time, 365 day's to be exact, yet it also seems like such a small amount of time. As of now, you no longer feel terrified to be alone in public, you have a stable job, a caring boyfriend, and a home with friends. 

Though somethings still linger. You still can't be alone during thunderstorms, which you don't think you ever will be, you flinch every time someone moves too quickly near you, and you can't smell cigarettes without freaking out. You manage, though. And Mark helps you when you have an episode. 

You slowly get out of bed, making sure as to not disturb the 'sleeping beauty' laying next to you, even though you know he sleeps like a rock. You pull one of his shirts on along with some pj shorts before slipping out of the room quietly. You head down the hall and past your old room, which you have long since left. Mark, Ryan, and Matt decided to make it into a small red room for your photography. When they showed it to you, you almost screamed. It was one of the best things anyone had ever given you.

You make your way down the stairs and into the kitchen, seeing Matt and Ryan sitting there talking amongst themselves. 

"Morning, guys!" You say, a bit too cherry for how early it was. The two nod at you and continue their conversation. You smile and sigh, knowing they weren't trying to be rude. You head over to the coffee pot and grab a mug, pouring yourself a cup before sitting next to Ryan and Matt. 

"We've already done that so many times!" Ryan said.

"Yeah but they love it!" Matt said. 

"What's the problem?" You ask, taking a sip of your coffee. The two sigh and turn to you. 

"Matt wants us to do another, 'don't laugh' video with Mark, but we've already done that so many times!" 

"Yes but they always end up being hits!" Matt explained. 

"I agree with Matt. I know (BF/N) always had enjoyed them, really anything that's like that." You explain. Ryan groaned and rolled his eyes. (BF/N) had visited you once a few months ago, and the two loved them. Of course you knew why, they were hilarious almost all the time. They had been able to guest star in a video or two, and they loved it.

"We should still try something new." Ryan muttered. You rolled your eyes and sat up.

"You can add in something new, like what you did with the props." You said. 

"I guess." Ryan finally said, giving up in defeat. Matt smiled and thanked you. You nodded in return. 

"Planning on doing anything today?" Matt asked. You shrugged and leaned back, taking a sip from your mug.

"I might do some photography, as usual. But I don't really know." You answer. 

"No you aren't!" You hear Mark say. You look over to the stairwell and see him standing there. You didn't hear him come down the stairs. 

 

"I'm not?" You say, smiling at him. He walks over to you and kisses your head before sitting down next to you.

"Nope! We have plans." 

"I wasn't aware of this." You stretch your legs out along his lap and face him, raising an eyebrow. 

"Because it's a secret, obviously." He grabs your mug from your hands and takes a sip. 

"Don't we have to record today, Mark," Ryan muttered, and Mark shot him a glare. 

"We can do that _later_ , after i'm back with (Y/N)." 

"Oh, so we're going somewhere?" You smirk. 

"Dammit, Ryan!" Mark jokingly said, Ryan rolled his eyes. 

"Where are we going?" You asked.

"That, honey, is called a _surprise_!" Mark placed his hands on your calves, smiling widely. 

"Well don't stay out too late because we have to record tonight." Matt said.

"I know, I know." 

-

Mark had told you to dress up nice. He knew you had a fancy outfit somewhere in your hell of a closet. So there you were, looking fancy as fuck and standing in front of a mirror. You felt weird, not used to wearing something like this, but it was nice in a sense. 

You heard Mark yell your name, asking if you were ready. Your heart skipped a beat, feeling anxious for some reason.

"Yeah! I'll be down in a sec!" You yelled back, grabbing your camera bag and phone. You carefully walked down the stairs, knowing that if you rushed in shoes like these, you would fall on your face. 

At the bottom of the stairs, Mark was standing there in a black and blue suit, talking with Matt. Your face turned red almost instantly. He looked... wow. You don't even have words for it. He looked over to you, his eyes shining, smiling. 

"(Y/N)..." He said. Matt smiled and stepped aside, letting Mark walk over to you, which he did. You flushed deeper, not able to keep your eyes off of him. "You look... Wow." He let out a small laugh.

"You do too." 

"Alright you too," Matt said, smiling. "Don't stay out too late!" 

"Alright, mom." Mark muttered, rolling his eyes. You laughed softly. Mark turned to you and took your hand. "Ready?" 

"Always." 

-

The restaurant was mostly outside, fairly lights twinkling in your vision, lighting up the face across from you. 

You took a picture. He turned to you afterwards, smiling. You loved candid pictures of him. 

"Enjoying yourself?" He asked. You smiled at him. 

"Of course." 

Mark had taken you to a restaurant near the ocean. It was a long drive, almost all the way to Santa Monica, but it was worth it. The slight ocean breeze felt amazing against your face, and the sunset was something ethereal. 

After you and Mark had ordered, you too had light conversation. Nothing too heavy. It was peaceful.

"(Y/N), I've been meaning to ask you something for awhile now." Mark smiled. looking nervous. 

"What is it?" You asked. Mark looked up at you, taking a deep breath. 

"You don't have to answer me now, hell you don't have to answer me ever. I just need to ask you." 

He took another deep breath. 

"I know it's still pretty soon since... him... And I know you are still healing from that, but If I don't ask you now I don't think I ever will. And I know I don't have a ring right now... but..." 

You held your breath. 

"(Y/N), Will you marry me?" 

You let the breath out. 

"Mark... I would love to. But I don't think I'm mentally ready yet for marriage..." You said. He smiled, taking your hand.

"And that's fine! I'd never want to rush you into something you weren't ready for." 

"But." You said.

"But?" 

"Wait half a year, and ask me again." You said, smiling. He laughed, eyes tearing up. You laughed at him, but not in a mean way. You were almost crying too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's done! Thank you so much to all of you who have left comments, kudos, and bookmarks! Thank you to everyone who read this! If you are experiencing abuse, please please get help. A relationship will not heal it, nor will love. Leave the person who is harming you physically, emotionally, and/or sexually. And in time, you will heal and feel better, but it wont completely go away forever. Be safe everyone!


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